One thing you can count on with the Detroit Lions is that they are never, ever boring. Follow the latest news including injuries, roster moves and more here daily from Oakland Press beat writer Paula Pasche. Plus you'll find regular commentary about the team.

9/28/2006

Football and grades don't always mix

The NCAA released its Graduation Success Rate report Wednesday, and the
results were not kind to state of Michigan schools.

Michigan had the highest score of all football programs in the state, but
graduated just 71 percent of its players, tied for 78th out of 229 Division
I and I-AA teams. Central Michigan and Western Michigan both had GSRs of 70
percent, while Eastern Michigan (55 percent) and Michigan State (45 percent)
were among the bottom 80 schools nationally.

Boston College (96 percent) and Notre Dame (95 percent) had the best GSRs of
all major programs. Northwestern (91 percent) and Penn State (80 percent)
led the Big Ten.

The rate measures the percentage of graduates in a college sports program
over a four-year period, with athletes given six years to graduate. The
report includes the graduating classes of 1996-97 through 1999-2000. For
MSU, that's the Nick Saban years - and it helps explain why school officials
like president Lou Anna Simon and athletics director Ron Mason have been so
quick to champion current coach John L. Smith's off-field successes.

Under Smith, the Spartans have received adequate Academic Progress Rate
scores. The APR is a more current measure of a team's academic success, and
was designed to gauge whether athletes stay enrolled and make progress
towards their degree. Programs with poor APRs - scores below 925 - are at
risk for scholarship reductions.

The Spartan football program scored a 907 in the latest APR report issued
last February (for the 2003-04 and 04-05 academic years). That score is high
enough to avoid sanctions when the numbers are adjusted for squad size. It's
still well below the Division I football average of 930, but considering how
bad the numbers were under Saban (and presumably Bobby Williams) it's a step
in the right direction.

Michigan, by the way, registered a 952 APR, which places it in the 70-80th
percentile of all football programs. Western Michigan (878) had one of the
worst scores in Division I, Central Michigan (907) was on par with MSU, and
Eastern Michigan (902) was in danger of sanctions.

Charlie Weis: Getting slappy

Charlie Weis is a brilliant football coach, one of the best offensive minds
in the game. So it's disturbing to me the low he stooped to Saturday,
apparently in an attempt to get a 15-yard penalty called on Michigan State.

In case you missed it, Weis emerged from a scrum along the Notre Dame
sideline early in Saturday's second quarter to tell an official, "I got
punched in the face." Several MSU players had crossed the Notre Dame
sideline to check on their quarterback, Drew Stanton, who was knocked into
the Irish bench. Pushing and shoving ensued, and eventually offsetting
penalties were called.

It's quite possible MSU receiver Matt Trannon deserved a flag for something
he did in the fracas, though nothing illegal appears on tape. Likewise, no
one appears to come in contact with Weis, who said he was "slapped" after
the game then kinda sorta recanted Sunday, saying, "Might have been one of
my guys that slapped me for all I know."

Notre Dame, to no one's surprise, is playing the spin control game on Weis'
behalf. I talked to senior associate athletics director John Heisler Monday
and he said "Charlie kidded" about the incident after the game and never
contended it was a Michigan State player in the first place. When asked what
disciplinary action if any the two Notre Dame personnel directors would face
for shoving MSU players off their sideline and, in one case, grabbing
Trannon by the facemask, Heisler skirted the issue by saying this is "the first I heard of any
of this." Right. And my wife's never told me to put the toilet
seat down, either.

MSU forward footage of the incident to the Big Ten, where it's possible the
officials who bought Weis' "cock-and-bull story" - that's according to MSU
coach John L. Smith - will be admonished. But it's doubtful anything will
happen to Weis and his assistants, who added another chapter to this bitter
rivalry with their shameful actions Saturday.

A few other leftovers from the game:

- Former Spartan Bubba Smith has another recruiting tip for Michigan State,
and I'll bet the Spartans take him up this time. The player is Smith's
13-year-old nephew, Dakota, a 6-foot-8, 260-pound eighth grader who wears a
size 18 shoe. Three years ago, Smith came to MSU with a highlight tape of a
neighbor who wanted to become a Spartan because "he saw all the stuff in my
house," but was refused admittance to the press box. He stayed away until
his number was retired Saturday. The player, Smith says, is now a receiver
at USC.

- For all you "Police Academy" fans, Smith said three more installments are
in the works. Next up is Police Academy 8 (I presume), which has not begun
shooting yet. Smith said the original script, which called for the former
cadets to run the academy now attended by their children, has been scrapped.
Shaq was going to play Hightower's son, and Britney Spears was supposed to
play another ex-cadet's daughter.

Sunday walk-through: Typical Spartans

Saturday's Michigan State-Notre Dame game wasn't five minutes old when I got
my third voicemail message from a frustrated Spartan fan angry about his
team's 40-37 loss.

He said a few choice words about coach John L. Smith and several MSU
players, more than few more that I didn't understand because of his
inebriated state, then signed off by saying, "Typical Spartans."

Unfortunately, that's the perception of Michigan State these days. A
bumbling, mistake-prone group of outcasts with the talent to beat some of
the nation's top teams, but not the heart or guile.

Saturday was memorable in many respects. Bubba Smith had his No. 95 jersey
retired, many of his former teammates were on hand to celebrate the 40-year
anniversary of "The Game of the Century," and 80,193 fans jammed into
Spartan Stadium and sat through swirling winds and sideways rain to watch a
game that captivated most of the nation.

But from MSU's standpoint, the night was eminently forgettable. The Spartans
squandered a 16-point fourth-quarter with three turnovers in the final 6:10,
and once again woke up Sunday with questions of how and why.

No matter whose feet you place the blame at - Smith for allowing MSU to get
too conservative late, quarterback Drew Stanton for his turnovers, the
offensive line for its rash of penalties - the reality is the Spartans are
once again a fragile bunch approaching the crossroads of their season.

Last year, they started 4-0 but stinging losses to Michigan and Ohio State
began a downward spiral that ended with six defeats in seven games. Next
week is a chance to get healthy against Illinois, and MSU better take full
advantage or it will be looking at a third straight year without a bowl bid
- enough to make perception reality.

Pass, punt and kick

Pass: There are 19 undefeated teams left in Division I, including Purdue,
which opened Big Ten play with a 27-21 win over Minnesota. The Boilermakers
are well on their way to the postseason - they don't play Michigan or Ohio
State this year - and things could get interesting if they win at Notre Dame
next week.

Punt: Rather than pick on Northwestern or Indiana or Illinois again - easy
targets all - how about Penn State's offense? (I think that's what it's
called.) Six points and three turnovers Saturday against Ohio State, and
stud sophomore Derrick Williams gets four touches? At least running back
Tony Hunt (24 carries, 135 yards) looks like his old self again.

Kick: The big game next week pits the top-ranked Buckeyes against undefeated
Iowa in a night game in Iowa City. Kinnick Stadium will be rocking, and the
Hawkeyes might just stand the best chance of knocking off Ohio State this
year. Troy Smith looked mostly human last week, and Iowa's Albert Young is
just starting to catch stride.

Sanitation Saturday, Bubba Smith and other random thoughts

Emptying the playbook on a Thursday morning ...

n In case you missed it, Gordon Riese, the replay official who whiffed on
the on-side kick call at the end of last week's Oklahoma-Oregon game, has
been granted a leave of absence by the Pac-10 for the rest of the season. I
have all the sympathy in the world for Riese, who did nothing to deserve the
death threats he reportedly received after his ruling incorrectly upheld an
on-field decision to award Oregon the ball. That said, I don't think Riese,
64 and a retired Pac-10 official, should return to the booth again. With so
many camera angles and replays available, his negligence on the call is
baffling. The ball was clearly and illegally touched by Oregon before it
went 10 yards, and even it wasn't Oklahoma obviously recovered. I cut the
on-field officials a bit more slack because of the speed of the game, but
Riese and his partner, Roger Judd, should be held accountable for a decision
that likely cost Oklahoma its chance at a BCS bid.

n I was asked Sunday how I as a top-25 voter view the game. Do I give
Oklahoma credit for a win they should have had, or do I penalize the Sooners
as I would any other loss? I moved Oregon up in my poll to 14 and dropped
Oklahoma a few spots to 16. I didn't penalize the Sooners too heavily, but a
loss in the record book is a loss in my eyes, too.

n With Separation Saturday in the books, we can all turn our attention to
Sanitation Saturday. A week after seven top-25 teams squared off in a great
day of college football, there's some real stinkers on the docket this
weekend. Only two games involve two top-25 teams, and one of those - No. 24
Penn State at top-ranked Ohio State - features a 17-point spread.

n Fortunately, around these parts there's still plenty to be excited about.
Michigan opens Big Ten play against Wisconsin and some people are
incorrectly expecting a letdown. Across town at Michigan State there's
Flag-gate, sniping between coaches, the top two NFL quarterback prospects
and a 40-year anniversary to celebrate. Oh, and MSU and Notre Dame just may
play some football, too.

n Speaking of the anniversary, it's good to see MSU back in the good graces
with Bubba Smith. The legendary defensive end had a falling out with the
school a few years back reportedly because he wasn't allowed in the press
box without the proper credentials. MSU coach John L. Smith has extended a
hand to many former players in recent years. Expect to see more numbers like
Smith's 95 retired in coming seasons.

Flag-gate: The final word

It happened. I don't know if it was a spontaneous act of celebration as some
Michigan State players contend or a vengeful "take that" copied off Notre
Dame's antics the previous year. Whatever the case, Michigan State planted a
flag at Notre Dame Stadium last year and it's time to get over it.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis rekindled Flag-gate last week after his Irish
were beaten raw by Michigan, saying "there's one incident in particular that
I'll use as motivation" for this Saturday's game against MSU.

Even if he hadn't, ABC, judging by its promos, would have made it a major
deal of it, and all of us beat reporters would have followed suit with witty
flag references tucked inside too many inches of copy. But you want to know
the truth about Flag-gate? It really wasn't that big of a deal.

Michigan State scored the winning touchdown in overtime of last year's game
to cap a dramatic finish, then went to its corner of the end zone and sang
its fight song with its fans. On the way to the locker room, Eric Smith
jabbed the flag into some turf near midfield and a few other Spartans danced
around it in glee.

No Notre Dame player was there to defend the honor of the sacred ground that
was violated by the flag plant, and no one made much noise about it until
the next day, when footage of the hateful act began circulating on TV. Notre
Dame players then said they didn't appreciate MSU's antics, and MSU said so
what, we won.

Now, there are rumors that Weis told some of his boosters he'll make sure
Notre Dame never loses to Michigan State again. Another big whoop in my
opinion - what's he supposed to say, we'll be lucky to beat those guys? -
but one MSU is using as counter bulletin-board material to offset any edge
the Irish might have gained from the flag.

Weis denied making any such comments at his press conference Tuesday, saying
he doesn't talk to anybody in the summer time except his wife.

"Here's what I think we have to do," Weis said. "We have to put the flag
incident behind us because when you use something like the flag incident and
try to use it as our motivation for the game, that lasts for about five
minutes once the game starts. Once you start hitting each other in the mouth
a few times in the game that stuff is over with. You can use all sorts of
quotes and things on the board to get you through the week, but the bottom
line is we need to play better and we need to play better than we did last
week or we'll lose again this week."

Sunday walk-through: Assessing Michigan's title hopes

Rose Bowls are nice, but in today's college football world national
championships are what matter. And at least for a week, Michigan is back in
that discussion.

The Wolverines destroyed Notre Dame Saturday, relying on the one essential
ingredient to success. Defense. They forced five turnovers, returned one
interception for a touchdown, and foiled Brady Quinn's Heisman campaign with
a knockout blend of high pressure and good luck.

If there's a reason to think Michigan can reach the first ever BCS National
Championship game, defense is it. In many ways, this year's core is
reminiscent of the 1997 brand that brought a title to Ann Arbor. It's
nowhere near as good yet, but key pieces are in place across the board. Leon
Hall is one of the best cornerbacks in college football, and LaMarr Woodley
and Alan Branch lead what might just be the best defensive front in the Big
Ten. Toss in Mike Hart's ball control and the big-play ability of Mario
Manningham and you have a contender.

Of course, it's a big leap from contender to champion, especially for a team
whose recent history isn't that kind (7-5 last year) and one that didn't
look particularly impressive in early-season victories over Vanderbilt and
Eastern Michigan.

This week's game with Wisconsin is huge because of the let-down factor.
Wisconsin is an average team that's played no one the first three weeks and
has no real offensive weapons. But the Badgers always give Michigan fits.
Survive that and the Wolverines can focus their energy on four late-season
contests that will determine their season: Consecutive games against
Michigan State, Penn State and Iowa in early October, and a trip to Ohio
State Nov. 18. Everyone knows Lloyd Carr's history against Jim Tressel, and
that three-game stretch is brutal, especially the Oct. 14 trip to Happy
Valley where an 8 p.m. kick awaits a team coming off a game against its
in-state rival.

It's too early to tell if Saturday's performance is a one-week wonder or a
sign of things to come, but soon enough we'll find out.

Punt, pass and kick

Punt: The bottom of the Big Ten is terrible. Illinois is one of the 15 worst
teams in Division I. Northwestern might not win another game all year. And
Indiana became the second conference team to lose to a I-AA squad with
Saturday's stumble at Southern Illinois.

Pass: Michigan had the most impressive win of the weekend, but you can't
help marvel at Ohio State. The top-ranked Buckeyes got off to an
understandably slow start in their 37-7 win over Cincinnati - they were
emotionally drained after a huge victory over Texas last week - then rolled
off 34 straight points for the win.

Kick: Penn State-Ohio State is the marquee game next Saturday, but I'll be
keeping close tabs on Minnesota at Purdue. Neither team has been terribly
impressive the first three weeks, but at least one - maybe Saturday's winner
- will make a bowl.

Random thoughts

Three random thoughts entering Week 3 of the college football season:

1. If you missed my Big Ten column that ran in our paper Wednesday, I spoke
with Herman Matthews, the mathematician who publishes the Matthews/Scripps
computer rankings that were formerly used by the BCS. Matthews had 1-AA New
Hampshire ranked sixth in his poll this week, and even he agrees that's
laughable. Fact is, it's so early these polls are easily sewed by one big
win, especially if it comes on the road.

The AP poll, which I vote in, is often guilty of the same crime. I got an
email Sunday asking why I didn't move Ohio State up to No. 1 in my poll (I
have the Buckeyes third, behind USC and Auburn) after its big win at Texas.
One, because I still believe USC will win the national title. And two,
because I can't shake up my entire poll every week. If LSU wins at Auburn
this week, do I make the Tigers No. 1? I think LSU is a better team right
now than Texas, and I've had Auburn ranked ahead of OSU all year.

Just like with Matthews' poll, our more subjective rankings will play
themselves out. USC was mighty impressive in Week 1 at Arkansas, and the
Trojans play a pretty good Nebraska team this week. If they struggle, I'll
re-evaluate where I rate them then.

2. Matthews, by the way, has picked the straight-up winner in 82 percent of
the college football games played this year. That's a pretty remarkable
number - I challenge you to do better if you think you can. Why do you care?
Well, if you're a Michigan of Michigan State fan you should know his formula
predicts wins by Notre Dame and Pitt this week, and by rather large margins.

3. I'm convinced Temple coach Al Golden is crazy because, well, he took the
Temple job. Golden is a bright, young coach, a man who played under Joe
Paterno and spent five years as defensive coordinator at Virginia. Surely,
he could have waited for a better job, but he was itching to get his start
so he signed on with the worst program in Division I. In some ways it's a
no-lose situation. No one really expects Temple to turn around. But I had
the occasion to chat with Golden at MAC media day back in July, and he
sincerely believes he can build a winner. Like I said, I believe he's crazy,
and I also believe Minnesota will rush for 350 yards against his Owls this
week.

4. One extra thought for good measure. Keep Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner in
your prayers this week. Hoeppner underwent brain surgery the other day for
the second time in a year. There's lots of speculation around Bloomington
about what exactly ails Hoeppner, but no official word. Regardless, one of
the more likeable coaches in the Big Ten deserves better fate and a full and
speedy recovery.

NFL replay could learn a lesson from NCAA

I watched a little bit of last Thursday's Dolphins-Steelers NFL opener and I
walked away thinking just how right the NCAA got its instant replay rule.

In case you missed it, the NCAA approved instant replay across all games (at
least those with the requisite number of television cameras) this year. The
system is just like the one the Big Ten started a few seasons back, with an
official in the booth reviewing every play on the field. If there's a
question, he buzzes an on-field official and play stops momentarily while he
takes a longer look at it. The NCAA also added a provision for coaches to
challenge one call per game.

In the Miami-Pittsburgh game, the Steelers scored a late touchdown that
Dolphins coach Nick Saban tried unsuccessfully to challenge. He red-flagged
the play, but officials didn't see it in time and the touchdown stood,
though Steelers tight end Heath Miller was obviously out of bounds around
the 3-yard line.

You can blame Saban for not throwing the flag fast enough or his assistants
in the booth for not relaying what they saw in a timely fashion, but the
real party at fault is the NFL. How a billion-dollar league can have such an
incomplete replay system is baffling.

The NCAA's rule is not perfect. With human error and bodies flying around at
100 miles an hour, nothing ever will be. But if the league's intent is to
get the call correct, putting more of the onus on an off-field official is
the right thing to do.

Sunday walk-through: Big Ten has big questions

After watching Penn State get destroyed by Notre Dame on Showdown Saturday,
I'm left wondering just how good the Nittany Lions � and the rest of the Big
Ten � really are.

Penn State was supposed to contend for a league championship this year, but
looked lost on offense and a step slow on defense Saturday. The Lions had
three turnovers and no answer for Irish QB Brady Quinn. They trailed 20-0 at
halftime and 41-3 late before a couple of inconsequential touchdowns.

I dropped Penn State out of my top 25 (I ranked them 21st to start the year,
so it's not a huge drop) but I believe they'll be back by mid-October. Why
the optimism? Mostly because the rest of the Big Ten has been average at
best these first two weeks.

Ohio State is obviously the class of the league. The Buckeyes won at Texas
Saturday and did it in impressive fashion. They're two-deep on both sides of
the ball, and Troy Smith is now the front-runner for the Heisman.

But no one else in the Big Ten appears BCS-worthy. Iowa barely beat a bad
Syracuse team Saturday. I know the Hawkeyes were without starting
quarterback Drew Tate, but they didn't look too hot against Montana in Week
1 either. Michigan could win 10 games, or get dusted by Notre Dame itself.
And Purdue (injuries), Michigan State (inconsistency) and Wisconsin (play
someone with a pulse, please) all leave plenty to be desired.

With an entirely new secondary and an inexperienced but talented
quarterback, Penn State has the most room for improvement in that group.
That's why I'm still predicting a 9-3 record for the Lions, who need another
blue-chip recruiting haul before their makeover is complete.

Punt, pass and kick

Punt: Northwestern joined the list of major-conference teams falling to I-AA
opponents with its disturbing 34-17 loss to New Hampshire. I figured the
Wildcats would be one of the worst teams in the Big Ten this year, then
after a 21-3 opening-week win over Miami I thought I underestimated them. I
didn't. They're brutal.

Pass: James Laurinaitis was the defensive star of Ohio State's 24-7 win over
Texas. The sophomore linebacker forced a goal-line fumble and intercepted a
pass as the Buckeyes handed the Longhorns a Texas-sized whoopin' in Austin.

Kick: They won't get as much play as the Ohio State-Texas and Penn
State-Notre Dame tilts, but both Michigan and Michigan State have
season-defining games this week. The Wolverines, losers of six straight road
openers, play Notre Dame in South Bend, while MSU travels to Pitt after
gimme games against Idaho and Eastern Michigan.

DeBord gets revenge on CMU

Three sneaky suspicions about Week 2 of the college football season:

1. Michigan will put some hurt on Central Michigan. Lloyd Carr is not the
type of coach who runs up points on feeble opponents to impress poll voters,
but I get the impression he doesn't forgive and forget easily, either.
That's why I have no doubt the Wolverines will beat CMU by at least four
touchdowns. Carr's confidant and offensive coordinator, Mike DeBord, spent
four seasons pacing the sidelines in Mount Pleasant before he was fired in
2003. The firing was justified - DeBord went 12-34 overall and won just 22
percent of his MAC games - but that doesn't mean it sits well with those
closest to DeBord. With Notre Dame up next, Michigan has a lot of offensive
wrinkles to iron out (wink, wink) and DeBord's play calling will get it
done.

2. Javon Ringer will rush for 140 yards for MSU. Ringer had an average
opening game against Idaho. He carried 16 times for 70 yards (just 4.4 a
pop) and scored one touchdown on a goal-line option play. EMU got torched
through the air last week, but the Eagles have one of the worst run defenses
in the MAC (198.7 ypg allowed last year) and MSU will exploit it Saturday.
Expect Ringer to break a couple long runs, and MSU to save the bulk of its
passing playbook for next week's huge game at Pitt.

3. Big Ten teams will split their two showcase games Saturday with Ohio
State winning at Texas and Penn State losing at Notre Dame. OSU has the most
to gain with a strong performance. The Buckeyes can justify their No. 1
ranking, avenge last year's home defeat to the Longhorns, and Troy Smith can
establish himself as the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy with a good day.
It'll happen against a Texas defense still reeling from the loss of
cornerback Tarell Brown. Buckeyes 24, Longhorns 17. Notre Dame will make
amends for its shoddy performance last week against a Georgia Tech team that
is better than people think. The Irish, still winning with defense, take a
no-frills 26-14 decision.

New rules mean less fun

College football fans and coaches have railed against the new rule changes
that served their purpose in Week 1 and shortened games by an average of 17
minutes. Network television executives were no doubt dancing in their
top-floor offices at the results.

But the real loser in this whole clock conundrum is the players,
specifically those second- and third-stringers who saw their playing time
lopped in half (or eliminated all together) because of a few suits' desire
to fit NCAA games into a three-hour viewing window.

In case you missed my column last month or the many others that have been
written on the subject, the NCAA changed its rules earlier this year to
start the playing clock on kickoffs (instead of returns) and once the ball
is spotted on the first play of a series (instead of the snap). The rules
were instituted without the support of the American Football Coaches
Association, presumably because they would have suggested cutting into
commercial time instead and that just wouldn't be right.

Well, the new rules worked. According to USA Today, opening games this year
averaged 13 fewer plays, 4.5 fewer points and 101 fewer yards than a season
ago. They also resulted in one unintended and unhealthy change. With fewer
plays to go around and smaller leads to hold, coaches were more apt to stick
with their starters late in games.

As empirical data I can only offer common sense and a few snippets from
around the Big Ten. Michigan State did not play a backup offensive lineman
one single snap in its 27-17 win over Idaho. Purdue left star receiver
Dorien Bryant in the game in the fourth quarter of a 60-35 blowout of
Indiana State. And Wisconsin quarterback John Stocco, a month removed from
knee surgery, took every snap of a 35-14 win over Bowling Green.

This isn't t-ball where mommy pays $125 and everyone is guaranteed three
innings and a T-shirt, but early-season games are the time to experiment, to
get your two-deep ready for the rigors of a season. I saw less of that last
weekend, and I suspect - like the unfortunate rules themselves - that's here
to stay.

Sunday walk-through: Pigskin and Pepto

If you spent your weekend devouring all the Big Ten football you could find,
you're probably waking up this morning with an uncomfortable knot in your
stomach. Michigan State struggled to get past Idaho, Michigan looked
uninterested against Vanderbilt, and Iowa and Purdue had issues with
Division I-AA teams Montana and Indiana State before pulling away late.
Well, put down the Pepto cause everything will be all right.

It's our nature to overanalyze everything our favorite (or least favorite)
teams do, and especially after Week 1 - when there's only one performance in
the dossier - that analysis can lead to dangerous conclusions. Sure, there
were some danger signs. I mean, Purdue leading the mighty Sycamores by five
at halftime? But most Big Ten teams got out of Week 1 what it was worth - an
easy victory that left plenty to build on.

Among the bright spots: MSU found a defensive star in Otis Wiley (and the
secondary breaths a sigh of relief); Michigan has committed to a more
aggressive defense (you don't think they showed everything with Notre Dame
in two weeks, do you?); Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter is a stud (or
better than Brandon Kirsch, at least); and Iowa has a pretty good core (one
that'll get even better when starters Herb Grigsby, Ken Iwebema and Kyle
Schlicher return).

And to show how just how insignificant Week 1 can be, the happiest Big Ten
team of all was probably Minnesota, which found a solution to its
questionable running back depth in converted linebacker Alex Daniels. The
Gophers looked great and Daniels ran great against Kent State, but they're
headed into a literal Bears den next week when they play at California, a
team that was drilled by Tennessee and really has a lot to prove in Week 2.

Punt, pass and kick:
Punt: Central Michigan coach Brian Kelly sure made a couple goofy coaching
decisions in Thursday's loss to Boston College. That ill-conceived trick
play late got a lot of TV time, but the real stinker was the botched
fourth-down play late in the first half.

Pass: Daniels gets this week's game ball for his 155-yard, three-touchdown
debut at running back. Minnesota quarterback Bryan Cupito jokingly called
Daniels "Laurence Maroney" after the game, but Kent State defenders weren't
laughing when they were getting trucked by the 6-foot-3, 255-pound bull.

Kick: There's two great games on the docket next week. Ohio State's trip to
Texas could be a 1-2 showdown, and Penn State travels to South Bend to face
a Notre Dame team that, get this, won with defense. Rest up cause it'll be
another great Saturday.

About Me

Paula Pasche, a veteran sports writer, covers the Lions for The Oakland Press. She has written a book, "100 Things Lions Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die" which is available at bookstores and on Amazon.com. She won first place for column writing from the Society of Professional Journalists in Detroit (Class B) in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and was The Oakland Press 2010 Staffer of the Year.